Folding poultry-shipping crate.



No. 729,702, PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

L. E. TRAGHSBL FOLDING POULTRY SHIPPING CRATE.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. 1902.

No. 729,702. PATENTED JU E 2, 190a.

- L. E. TRAOHSEL.

:FOLDING POULTRY SHIPPING CRATE. APPLICATION PILEDJULYB. 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHBET 2 me scams FEJER$ co. wow-Mme. wAsnmorcN, n. c.

. UNITE STATES PATENT Patented June 2 1903.

OFFICE.

FOLDING POULTRY-SHIPPING CRATE SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 729,702, dated June 2, 1903. Application filed July 3, 1902. Serial No. 114,292. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS EDWARD TEACH- SEL, a citizen of the UnitedSt ates, residing at Union Star, in the county of Dekalb and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Folding Poultry-Shipping Crate, of h which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shipping-crates, more particularly to those employed for shipping poultry and the like, but which may also be employed for shipping other forms of merchandise. r

The invention has for its object the production of a crate of simple construction, easily operated, and which may be folded or collapsed When not required for use or when it is to be returned to the shipper.

The invention consists in certain novel fea: tnres of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the framework of the crate extended as in use, with the wire-netting guards and the upper slats removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec: tion through the trough and transverse double partition. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail illustrating the construction of the framework more fully. Fig. 4 isa plan View of the crate collapsed,with portions removed for clearness of illust tion. I

The crate will preferably be constructed wholly of metal, steel being generally employed, and is composed of a bottom member, a top member, side members connected to the top and bottom members by hinges, so that they will collapse with the top and bottom members, end members hinged by one edge to the top member and foldable inward, and a partition connected to the side members and foldable therewith, so that when not in use the parts may all fold together and occupy comparatively limited space. The bottom member is formed of an oblong frame of angle or L iron or steel, with the floor resting upon the inwardly-projecting edges of the bottom frame, as shown, the L-metal bottom frame being represented at 10 and the floor at 11. The floor is preferably secured in place by being riveted to the frame 10, as

shown. The floor may be of light wood or of sheet metal, as preferred.

Transversely supported across the bottom member and resting upon the side bars'of the bottom frame is a feed-trough 12, preferably semitubular in shape and with closed ends, as shown.

The top member will be of the same size andpreferably formed of angle metal in the samemanner as the bottom member, but reversed in position, with the flat side upward, as shown, and spaced from the bottom memher a distance equal to the heightof the crate,

the top member being denoted at'39.

' The side members are formed of oblong frames composed of longitudinal metal bars 13 14: and vertical metal end bars 15 16, riveted at their meeting points and further secured by diagonal brace-rods 17 18. The sides of the crate being precisely alike in construction-like designating characters are employed for corresponding parts in each. The side members areconnected,respectively, to the top and bottom members by hinges 37 38, so that they will fold together, as shown in Fig. 4. y

It will be noted that the end bars 15 16 and the longitudinal bars 13 14. when the crate is extended, as in Figs. 1 and 2, are superimposed, so that all the downward strains are borne by the side frames and not by the hinges 37 38, so that anyweight placed upon the crates-as, for instance, when a number of crates are stacked one upon the other-will be borne by the frame andthe hinges relieved from any downward strains, as hereinafter more fully explained.

The end members of the crateare likewise formed of longitudinal bars 21 22 and end bars 23 24, supported by diagonal braces 25 26 and fitting between the top and bottom members and the side members closely, as

shown, to fill the gap completely in the ends of the crate and also to afford a support to the end portions of the top and bottom members. The end members are connected by hinges 27 to the end members of the top frame and adapted to be folded inward and upward into alinement with the under side of the top member when the crate is folded, as indicated in Fig. 4. The end members, like the side members, engage the adjacent edges of the top and bottom members, and thereby support them andrelieve the hinges 27from any vertical strains. By this means, as before stated, the downward strains are borne entirely by the framework and the hinges relieved from any of the downward strains when the crate is extended. This is an important feature of the invention and adds materially to its durability, as the weaker hinges are protected by the stronger framework. The end members will be provided with suitable catches 18, adapted to engage apertures in the floor 11 when the crate is extended, and also adapted, if required, to engage suitable keepers upon the under side of the top member when the crate is collapsed or folded to hold the end members in this folded position.

The top member will be provided with spaced slats 31, riveted by their ends to the top frame, as shown, to form an open closure to the top of the crate. Inserted in the slats are the door-frames, to which the doors 32 are hinged or otherwise engaged and through which access is had to the interior of the crate. These doors may be of any required size and secured in any desired manner, but will be large enough to permitv the fowls to be inserted into and removed from the crate and may be varied in size and shape to adapt them to the quality or form of merchandise carried in the crate.

The trough 12, if one only is employed, will preferably be located centrally of the crate, and transversely thereto, as shown, and supported within the crate are two transverse partitions, one on each side of the trough and adapted to be foldable with the crate. These partitions are formed of end bars 32 33, secured to the bars 13 14 of the side members, respectively, as shown, and spaced bars or rods 34, pivotally connected by their opposite ends in the bars 32 33. The bars 32 33 will be formed in steps, as shown, so that when the crate is folded the bars 34 will lie side by side and not be cramped by coming in contact one with the other. This is an important feature of the invention and insures the folding of the partitions into the smallest possible space. Two of these foldable partitions will be employed, one upon each side of the trough 12, to afford protection to the trough in addition to their function of separating the crate into two compartments. The bars 34 will be spaced far enough apart to permit the fowls to insert their heads between them to reach the food in the trough, but will be close enough together to prevent them from passing from one compartment to the other. The spaced partitions therefore perform two important functionsfirst, as a means of dividing the crate into two independent compartments, and, second, as a means of protecting the contents of the food-trough 12.

As many of the troughs 12 and the spaced partitions 32 33 34: may be employed as required to divide the crate into a corresponding plurality of compartments.

7 By dividing the crate into separate compartments, as above noted, different species of fowl may be shipped in the same crate or different sizes of the same species without danger of injury to the smaller species. Another advantage of the double or spaced partition is that the two compartments are divided by a considerable space, so that fowls or other birds or animals antagonistic by nature may be carried in the same crate without danger of interference.

All of the parts of the crate will preferably be of steel of suitable size to resist the strains to which it will be subjected, and the joints will all be secured by rivets to insure stability. The top member and side and end members may be covered with wire-cloth of suitable mesh to secure the proper ventilation and prevent the escape of the fowls. The crate may be thus constructed of comparatively light material, while at the same time possessing great strength and durability and capable of being very readily cleaned.

By being formed entirely of metal the crate is not subject to the influence of moisture and will not, therefore, be deteriorated by exposure to the weather and will also be fireproof, and thereby insuring a saving in expense in fire risks.

When the device is to be folded, it is only necessary to release the catches 18 and draw the end members upward into engagement with the under side of the top member, when the whole crate will fold downward by gravity and require no further attention from the operator. To extend the crate, it is only necessary to elevate the top member, when the end members will fall into place by gravity and engage the catches 18'. The crate is therefore practically self-folding and largely self-extending, as the top and side members would move by gravity into their extended positions by tilting the crate upon one edge. It would then require the operator to simply push the end members slightly outward to cause the catches 18 to engage. This produces a very strong, light, foldable crate having an interior foldable partition, which not only forms a partition to divide the crate into separate compartments, but also forms a protecting means to the food-trough 12. v

The crate may be made of any size, as above noted, and the material employed may be of any suitable strength and properly braced and supported.

The crate may be galvanized or otherwise coated to increase its durability and render it still more impervious to moisture.

The bottom member will be provided with diagonal brace-rods 35 36, as shown in Fig. 1, and the top member may also be provided with similar rods, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4.

The wire-cloth covering is not shown in the drawings, as it forms no part of the present invention and its presence would obscure other and important parts.

In Fig. l the slats 31, the doors supported by them, and the wire-cloth covering. above referred to are omitted for clearness ofillustration, and in Fig. 4 the slats 31 are shown extending a portion of the Way only longitudinally of the upper member 39, with one of the doors 32 in position in'the slats. It will be understood, however, that the slats extend the whole length of the crate and that one of the doors 32 will be located above each of the compartments formed by the transverse foldable partitions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a foldable crate, spaced top and bot tom members and spaced side members foldably connected, and a foldable partition consisting of bars connected transversely to said side members and spaced rods connected at their ends to said bars, substantially as described.

2. A foldable crate comprising spaced top and bottom members and spaced side members foldably connected, and a partition consisting of spaced members connected to said side members and foldable therewith, substantially as described.

3. A foldable crate comprising spaced top and bottom members and spaced side members foldably connected, a feed-trough transversely supported upon said bottom member, and spaced partitions upon opposite sides of said feed-trough connected to said side members and foldable therewith, substantially as described.

4:. A foldable crate comprising spaced top and bottom members and spaced side members, a feed trough supported transversely upon said bottom member, and transverselydisposed spaced partitions formed of spaced rods movably connected to said side members upon opposite sides of said feed-trough, and foldable with said side and top and bottom members, substantially as described.

5. A foldable crate comprising spaced top and bottom members andspaced side members foldably connected, a feed-trough transversely supported upon said bottom member, bars connected transversely to said side members at opposite sides of said trough, and

spaced rods movably connected by their ends to said transverse bars, whereby spaced partitions are formed on opposite sides of said feed-trough and foldable with said side and top and bottom members, substantially as described.

6. A foldable crate comprising spaced top and bottom members, and spaced side and end members foldably connected, a trans verse trough supported upon said bottom member, and spaced partitions connected to said side members on opposite sides of said trough and foldable with said side members, substantially as described.

7. In a folding crate, spaced top and bottom members, spaced side members foldably connected thereto, a foldable partition consisting of bars formed into oppositely-disposed progressive steps and connected trans versely to said side members, and rods mov ably engaging said oppositesteps, whereby said rods, when said crate is folded, will lie in horizontal alinement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS EDWARD TRACHSEL.

Witnesses SAMUEL SHEPARD, ROBERT STANTON. 

